


trope meme ficlet #4

by la_dissonance



Series: commentfics and drabbles [4]
Category: Bandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, Secretly Married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-29
Updated: 2012-09-29
Packaged: 2017-11-15 06:13:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/524015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_dissonance/pseuds/la_dissonance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan and Spencer are gay footmen who must ~hide their love~</p>
            </blockquote>





	trope meme ficlet #4

**Author's Note:**

> For a prompt from alpheratz :) 
> 
> Disclaimer: everything vaguely historical in this comes from Downton Abbey and as such it is wildly inaccurate \o/

"We could always get married."

Spencer's been saying that a lot lately. It's been his go-to line since before he knew it wasn't a thing that was possible, back when they were tiny children living on Spencer's parents' tiny farm. As far as Ryan can remember, he'd been born knowing the way things work, but even after he'd taught Spencer that boys could only marry girls, Spencer'd brought it up often enough that it's a common thread running through their youth: Spencer proposes marriage, Ryan laughs it off, life goes on.

Only now they're not children anymore (haven't been for a while) and Spencer's doing it more often than usual. The cook marries her sweetheart from town and leaves service; Spencer winks at Ryan and says "Could be us, next," despite the fact that they're both footmen and share nothing in common with the cook and her sweetheart. 

Both he and Spencer happen to be serving dinner the night that the Lady Matilda's most recent suitor halts everything so he can drop to one knee and propose to her in front of her whole family and all their guests, who are delightedly shocked. Spencer doesn't bat an eye then, but later on when they're alone in the pantry polishing the silver, Spencer asks Ryan how he'd like it if Spencer were to cause a scene like that all for him. Ryan rolls his eyes and tosses a rag at Spencer's head.

In June, the earl's mother comes to visit for a month, and Ryan and Spencer get sent to fetch her from the station. It's only a few miles away, but the trip takes long enough that it feels like an afternoon off. As soon as they're out of sight of the house, Spencer peels off his jacket and lets the reins go slack. "Not a soul around," he says, although they both know there's a farm right on the other side of the woods the road's passing through. "We could run off to a place where no one knows our names and bribe the parson to marry us, no one could stop us."

"They'll miss us when we don't meet the train," Ryan says, and Spencer urges the horse faster.

The thing is, Spencer's proposals hit Ryan deeper than he lets on. They're romantic in a way that appeals to some wild little kernel of himself that would have preferred to be born in a different century, one with wandering minstrels, perhaps. He likes the notion of an upside-down world where footmen can elope with their best friends, likes the fact that it exists for Spencer too. 

"You're always asking me to marry you," Ryan says one night when they're getting ready for bed in their little garret room. 

Spencer hangs his suspenders on the hook by the door. "Yes, I am."

"What if we did?" Spencer turns and looks at Ryan, eyes bright and hopeful, so Ryan keeps talking. "Not for real, but. Just for us."

"That _would_ be for real," Spencer says, crossing to sit on the edge of Ryan's bed.

"No — well, not for the church. Or for anyone else. But really it's just a set of promises, isn't it? We could do that, just the two of us."

Spencer takes Ryan's hand in his own. "Are you asking me to marry you, Ryan Ross?"

Ryan looks down at their hands, then up at Spencer with a wry grin. "If you'll have me."

Spencer grins back. "I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
